Shoe rack



c. H. KRAMB 2,25,8W

SHOE RACK Filed Jan. 27, 1959 A TTORNEYS.

Patented June 25, 1940 1 UNITED srrss ,PATENT OFFlCE 1 Claim.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a carrying rack, adapted primarily to be used in the home, to suspend shoes conveniently and attractively, but by no means limited in use to the home, or for the purpose of carrying shoes.

The invention aims to provide a resilient clip of novel form, and novel means for mounting it, the construction being such that if a shoe is the article retained by the clip, the shoe will be held securely but releasably at a downward slope, from heel to toe, and the construction of the clip being such that, although the shoe, for instance, is held securely, there will be no marring of the shoe, it being possible to introduce the shoe or other article readily into the clip, and to remove the shoe or other article from the clip, without difficulty.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds,

the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed,

80 may be made within, the scope of what is claimed,

without departing from the spirit of the invention. a

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 shows, in elevation, a device constructed 85 in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation wherein the device is viewed at right angles to the showing of Fig. 1.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a carrying rack, including an upright or 40 support I, in the form of an elongated bar. The clip hereinafter described may be mounted on supports other than the specific support shown and described. Preferably, but not necessarily, the support I is held in an upright position 45 through the instrumentality of perforated angle brackets Z disposed approximately at right angles to the upright or support I and secured to the upper and lower end portions of the part I.

The device includes a resilient clip 3, preferably 60 made of metal, the strip out of which the clip 3 is formed having a common cross section from end to end. The clip 3 includes a curved body 4, convexed as at 5, on its inner side, toward the support I, and concaved as shown at 6, on its 55 outer side, toward the support I. The body 4 of the clip 3 defines an acute angle with respect to the support I. The body 4 of the clip is provided at its upper end with an enlarged eye I, merging into a depending tongue 8. The tongue 8 extends downwardly along the body 4 and coop- 5 erates with the body to form an article grip.

The tongue 8 terminates at its lower end in a rounded, anti-puncturing stop 9, of hook-shape, cooperating with the body 4 to define an entering throat I I]. The lower end II of the body 4 ex- 10 tends downwardly below the stop 9, and a means I2, such as a rivet, is provided for securing the lower end II of the clip body 4 to the support I.

Owing to the fact that the body 4 defines an acute angle, as shown at I4, with respect to the 15 support I, the shoe will be held at a convenient downward slope from heel to toe. The back wall of the shoe is inserted between the tongue 8 and the curved body 4, the body 4 conforming to the convexity of the outer surface of the shoe at 20 the back end thereof. The entering throat In facilitates the mounting of the shoe within the clip 3. The eye I enables the tongue 8 of the clip to be flexed readily, to receive the shoe. Because the eye I is of an enlarged form, the upper 25 edge of the shoe will not become worn or disfigured. Since the lower end II of the body 4 extends downwardly below the stop 9, the lower, back part of a part of the shoe rests against the part II and there is no marring or disfiguring of the support I. The stop 9 is called an antipuncturing stop because, owing to its rounded form, it will not stab into or mar the inner surface of the shoe. The stop 53 engages the sole of the shoe before the upper edge of the back part of the shoe can come into contact with the upper part of the eye I and this circumstance, together with the shape of the eye, leaves no unsightly blemish at the upper part of the back of the shoe.

Any number of clips 3 may be employed. They may be disposed in pairs, the members of each pair being on opposite sides of the support I, a single rivet I2 serving to hold both clips of the pairs in place. It isevident from Fig. 1 that as many pairs of clips as is desired, may be mounted on the support I, in superposed relation. The frequent reference to shoes should not be taken as indicating that the device is of use only practice, the tongue 8 has two vertically spaced grip points on the shoe, one of those points being at the stop 9, and theother being at the lower or the body in spaced relation thereto, and cooper-ating therewith to form an article grip, the tongue terminating at its lower end in an outwardly curved anti-puncturing stop bearing against the body to define an entering throat, the lower end of the body extending downwardly below the stop, and means for securing the lower end of the body to a support, the curvature of the body being such that when it is secured to a support, as

aforesaid, the clip will define an upwardly-open- 10 ing acute angle with respect to a support.

CHARLES H. KRAMB. 

